Outgoing ACC Standing Committee response: “receiving” means “neither endorsed nor affirmed consequences”

The outgoing Standing Committee of the Anglican Consultative Council has issued Outgoing SC response final, “Walking together: a clarification” (pdf).

A key paragraph,

In receiving the Archbishop of Canterbury’s formal report of the Primates’ Gathering and Meeting, ACC16 neither endorsed nor affirmed the consequences contained in the Primates’ Communique. There was no plenary discussion or decision with respect to the Primates’ Communiqué. From our perspective there did not seem to be a common mind on the issue, other than the clear commitment to avoid further confrontation and division. ACC16 did welcome the call for the Instruments of Communion and the Provinces to continue to walk together as they discern the way forward. No consequences were imposed by the ACC and neither was the ACC asked to do so.

Emphasis added.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has stated a different opinion on several occasions — as recently as last week on his website:

By receiving my report, which incorporated the Primates’ Communique, the ACC accepted these consequences entirely, neither adding to nor subtracting from them. There was no attempt during the Meeting to increase the consequences or to diminish them. No member of TEC stood for office at the ACC elections. All this passed without a vote, as part of a block of motions agreed.

So much for that issue, which has been much distorted in comments since the end of the ACC.

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